Hot Pink Gerbera Daisies

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brazilian candles

Although the Brazilian candles plant isn’t offered at nurseries as regularly as bromeliads or peace lilies, this tropical flower is worth seeking out. It’s a prolific bloomer and easy to grow, even for beginning gardeners.

An unusual feature of Brazilian candles is its habit of secreting plant juices that form attractive glistening beads on the leaves and stems.

Pavonia multiflora, Family Malvaceae

Common Names:

Brazilian Candles, Many Flowers

purple bridal bouquets

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Red Roses and Green Orchids

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bells of ireland

Before green flowers became a hot trend, there were bells of Ireland, a flower in cultivation since the 1500’s. These flowers are native to Turkey, not Ireland, but their fresh green color and symbolism of luck derived from the bell shape give them their Irish nickname.

Florists love bells of Ireland for their availability and longevity, and you’ll see them used in wedding flower arrangements as often as in St. Patrick’s day bouquets.

Moluccella laevis, Family Labiatae

Common Names:

Bells of IrelandMolucca BalmShell Flower

Zone:

Bells of Ireland grow in all zones, but fare poorly in areas with hot and humid summers.

Size:

20-30 inches

Exposure:

Partial sun

Bloom Period:

Midsummer to first frost

Plant bells of Ireland in the garden after the last frost date in your area in average garden soil. Leave seeds uncovered, as they require light to germinate. The seeds are slow to germinate, taking up to a month to produce shoots, so for earlier blooms start them indoors two months before the average last frost date.

Stratification increases the germination rate of bells of Ireland. You can expose them to cold by sowing them outdoors in the fall, or by refrigerating them for a week before starting them indoors.

Bells of Ireland flowers are easy to dry, and they add interest to fresh cut flower arrangements. The lime green flowers make an attractive foil for wine or magenta colored flowers, like ‘Red Velvet’ celosia, globe amaranth, or ‘Purple Prince’ zinnias.

If you harvest bells of Ireland for fresh or dried bouquets, wear gloves to protect your hands from the small spiny thorns that grow along the stems. The stiff calyces of bells of Ireland last up to two weeks in fresh arrangements, but the flowers don’t maintain their green tint as dried specimens. The bells will gradually turn tan when they dry.

Get More Blooms From Roses

Pests decrease the bloom count on roses in two ways: by weakening plants, and by eating the blossoms themselves. A systemic pesticide, like acephate, protects tender new growth from aphids, mites, thrips, and whiteflies. Organic options like neem oil or insecticidal soap are options for rose bushes adjacent to vegetable gardens.

million bells

Would you like an annual flower that blooms nonstop without the need for deadheading? How about one that spills gracefully over the sides of your containers and hanging baskets, but has a dense trailing habit rather than a spindly one? Million bells plants fit this description, and they attract hummingbirds and butterflies to boot.

Your grandmother probably didn’t grow million bells, but not because they didn’t exist. Petunias and million bells were exported from South America to Europe in the 1800’s. Petunias ruled until 1997, when Proven Winners licensed the up-and-coming million bells from its breeder, Sunstory Ltd.

Genus Calibrachoa, Family Solanaceae

Common Names:

Million Bells, Trailing Petunia

Zone:

Million bells plants are tender perennials hardy in zones 9-11, but most gardeners treat them as annuals.

Size:

3-12 inches tall, spread up to 2 feet

Exposure:

Million bells flower best in full sun. Bright dappled shade or afternoon shade are second choice placements in the garden, but may turn your “million bells” into “thousand bells.”

Bloom Period:

Spring through frost

Their trailing habit, low maintenance, and prolific blooms make million bells excellent candidates for containers and hanging baskets. Million bells are also somewhat drought tolerant, so you can include them in the rock garden. If you use million bells as a ground cover, keep in mind that they seldom spread more than two feet, so plant enough to ensure adequate coverage.

Valentino Iris

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fertilizer types

When you walk down the fertilizer aisle at the nursery or home improvement center, the second thing you’ll notice about the aisle (after the distinctive smell) is the array of formulations. You’ll see bags and bottles, powders and granules, sprays and concentrates. Furthermore, you’ll discover an increasing number of organic and “earth-friendly” fertilizers. Which one is best for your flowers? Make sense of these choices, and pick the best flower fertilizer for your plant’s healthy growth.

Complete Fertilizer

For most flower gardeners, a complete fertilizer is necessary to supply plants with the three major elements they require to thrive:

Nitrogen (N): Promotes healthy foliagePhosphorus (P): Stimulates root systemsPotassium (K): Aids in flower (and fruit) formation

The fertilizer label will list the nutrients in the order of NPK, with numbers representing the percentage of nutrient compared to filler ingredients. A 10-10-10 fertilizer contains 10% of each nutrient.

Chemical Fertilizer

Fertilizer manufacturers create artificial fertilizers by combining inorganic chemicals to form compounds like ammonium nitrate or magnesium sulfate. An advantage of chemical fertilizers is that the plants take up the nutrients quickly, unless the formula is designed to be a time-release fertilizer. Disadvantages include the risk of over application, which causes burning, and the absence of any soil-improving qualities.

Chemical fertilizers come in a range of formulations, including pellets, liquid concentrates, and powders. These formulas make it convenient for the gardener to apply fertilizers to containers, houseplants, or the landscape.

Foliar Fertilizer

Foliar fertilizers are liquid nutrients that plants absorb through their leaves. Not all flowers feed efficiently this way, because the waxes and hairs on leaves act as a barrier to nutrient uptake. Potassium is the most easily absorbed nutrient in foliar feeding applications, so use foliar fertilizers in the flower garden to address potassium deficiencies.

Organic Fertilizer

Organic fertilizers come from living things, like animal manure, fish emulsion, or leaf mold, and non-living things, like rock phosphate or greensand. Fertilizers from organic matter not only supply essential nutrients to flowers, they also improve soil tilth. Gardeners who don’t eat what they grow still appreciate organic fertilizers because they:

Don’t burn plantsStrengthen plants’ immune systemsAre non-toxic to beneficial insects and wildlifeRemain active in the soil for long periods

Disadvantages of organic fertilizers include their expense, palatability to some pets, and limited formulations. Organic fertilizers are not an overnight fix, so won’t correct severe nutrient deficiencies quickly.

Simple Fertilizer

If a soil test reveals a deficiency of one major nutrient, you can purchase a simple fertilizer, which contains only nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium. Simple fertilizers can be chemical or organic in makeup.

Slow-Release Fertilizer

Technically, all organic fertilizers are slow-release, as it takes time for organic matter to decompose in the presence of soil microorganisms. The slowest acting organic fertilizers include insoluble mineral fertilizers, like rock potash and other rock powders.

Gardeners who want to fertilize once and forget it can shop for slow-release fertilizers that use coatings or capsule-like shells to control the release of the fertilizer over a period of weeks or months.

Wedding flower hub

In addition to coordinating with the wedding colors, the florist should match the reception flowers to the tablecloths and napkins. The wedding reception isn’t the place to utilize fragrant flowers that can clash with the aroma of the food, but you can ask the florist about adding decorative fruits to the arrangements, like pomegranates or figs.

Reception flowers can take up a large part of the wedding flower budget, depending on how many guest tables require arrangements. The couple can save money by putting the flower focus on the head table and buffet table, and decorating the guest tables with greenery and color-themed ribbons.

Propagate Perennials

Photo © flickr user Linda N.

Many herbaceous flowering plants form clumps over time, and dividing these clumps not only yields additional plants for the garden, but also keeps the original plants vigorous. Dividing plants is a messy affair, as you must dig up the entire plant and separate it into several smaller pieces, but the new plants are usually large enough to flower that season.

Flowers that grow and spread by means of rhizomes are good candidates for propagation by division. If you have overcrowding in the flower garden, divide these plants:

Corn Harvest Iris

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Pastel Pink Roses With Calla Lily Accents

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peat moss alternatives

You’ve seen them at every nursery and home improvement center: bales of peat moss, that fluffy brown stuff gardeners add to their clay or sandy soil to improve the flowerbed. However, there are some environmental drawbacks to using peat moss as a soil amendment. Peat moss takes centuries to develop, and its harvest from wetland bogs damages this habitat and releases greenhouse gases into the air. This is surprising to many gardeners, who may rely on peat moss to lighten and acidify the soil.

Flower gardeners can take steps to protect the fragile peat bog ecosystem by choosing from four soil amendment alternatives:

Compost:

Compost got it’s nickname of “black gold” for a reason: This soil amendment improves the tilth of soil, adds trace nutrients, attracts earthworms, and introduces beneficial microorganisms into the garden. Don’t like the “ick factor” of do-it-yourself composting? Most nurseries sell compost by the bag or truckload, and many cities give residents free compost through their yard waste processing facilities.

Coconut fiber:

Like peat moss, coconut fiber helps soil absorb and retain moisture. You can buy coconut fiber as dry compressed bricks, which store tidily in the garden shed until you add water to them and mix them with garden soil. Coco fiber bricks are pricy, so they might be a better option for the small garden or flowering container garden.

Leaf mold:

Leaf mold is like the lazy man’s compost. The product is the result of the natural decay process of leaves, without all the turning or worrying about the right ratio of greens and browns. Shredding the leaves helps them break down into humus faster, and you don’t need a fancy shredder; running over them with the lawnmower will do.

Pine needles:

Pine needle mulch is popular where pine trees are abundant, but flower gardeners can use pine needles as a soil amendment too. After all, what are pine needles but the specially shaped leaves of pine trees? The acidity of pine needles is especially beneficial to help acid loving flowers thrive, including azaleas, lilies, marigolds, and rhododendrons.

xeriscape flower hub

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white bridal bouquets

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hoop bouquet

Definition:

The flower hoop bridal bouquet makes an impact without using a large amount of flowers. The florist makes this wedding flower arrangement by attaching flowers and greenery to a hoop or wreath with wire, and finishing the piece with ribbons.

The flower hoop bridal bouquet is an arrangement that suggests movement and flow, and is well suited to garden or beach weddings. Brides that choose the hoop bridal bouquet style usually wear wedding gowns with simple lines and spare embellishments.

A fun way to coordinate a flower hoop bridal bouquet with the bridesmaids’ flowers is to create smaller versions of the bridal bouquet for the bridesmaids to wear as floral hair crowns.

botrytis

Botrytis blight is a cruel disease for flower gardeners, because it strikes garden plants in their prime, destroying blossoms just as they are ready to open. Botrytis, also called grey mold, is a fungal disease, and gardeners can recognize it when they see these symptoms in plants:

Spotting or discoloration on leavesWilting or decaying leaves and shootsLeaf dropFuzzy grayish brown growth on flowers and foliageFlower buds that fail to openRotting flower buds

Botrytis thrives in high humidity and cool weather, so gardeners will see signs of grey mold most often in spring.

In the outdoor flower garden, peonies and roses are the most likely plants to show signs of botrytis. In the greenhouse, several flowers are susceptible to this fungus, especially:

Sulfur powders and sprays are effective at controlling fungal diseases like botrytis in the flower garden. Apply sprays early in the morning or evening to avoid harming bees or beneficial insects.

A less common, but very effective organic treatment against foliar diseases in the flower garden is the bacterium Bacillus subtilis, sold under the trade name Serenade. Many gardeners report that they like the fragrance of this spray compared to other organic or conventional fungicide sprays.

When you notice the first signs of botrytis in the flower garden, get out the clippers. Remove all affected foliage and flowers, and destroy the plant matter. Sanitize clippers with an alcohol wipe after pruning diseased plants to prevent spreading the fungi to healthy plants. It’s also important to keep the ground around plants free of decaying leaves, which act like a nursery for fungal spores.

Although you can’t do anything about humid conditions in your area, you can help plants cope with excessive moisture:

Use drip irrigationAvoid overhead wateringWater in the morningAllow enough space between plants for air circulationPrune the interior of dense plants to increase air movement

Columbine Profile

Columbine flowers can grow in a nodding or upright position, but the spurs of the flowers are a key characteristic. Although these spiky protrusions are highly ornamental, they evolved with the plant to serve as an essential survival trait: The length of the spurs accommodates different pollinators. For example, columbines that grew wild in areas populated by long-tongued hawk moths developed longer spurs over time.

Other differences in spur appearance distinguish columbine species from one another. The thickness of the spurs varies from stout to narrow. The position of the spurs in relation to the petals can appear straight, curved, hooked, and spreading or not spreading. With all these possibilities in flower appearance, it’s easy to see how a gardener can become a columbine aficionado!

tuberose

You can duplicate the look of tuberose flowers in your garden with many other small, white flowers, but no other bloom has quite the same intoxicating perfume. Some describe the fragrance of this South American flower as exotic, spicy, floral, and sweet, and the price for one ounce of the essential oil can start at $600 or higher. However, you can enjoy the fresh fragrance of this popular wedding flower for a few dollars, and a little bit of sweat equity, by growing the tuberose in your garden.

Genus Polianthes Tuberosa, Family Agavaceae

Common Names:

Tuberose

Zone:

Hardy in zones 8-10, otherwise grow as an annual.

Size:

24-36 inches

Exposure:

Full Sun

Bloom Period:

Mid to late summer

Tuberose foliage has grassy foliage, similar in appearance to daylilies. Each stem can bear a dozen or more white blooms, which may remain closed if the heat is particularly stifling.

True to its agave heritage, the flowers are slightly waxy, offering protection against desiccation, but the blooms can still shrivel in direct sun when temperatures are 95 degrees F or greater. If this sounds typical of your summers, plant the bulbs where they will receive some afternoon shade.

Although tuberoses need full sun to reach their blossoming potential, they don’t like to bake in parched soil. Keep your tuberoses moist with the help of a 3-inch mulch layer.

Tuberoses are moderate to heavy feeders. Apply a slow release granular fertilizer at the beginning of the season. A 5-10-5 fertilizer will provide the necessary phosphorus to encourage flowering.

At the end of the growing season in zones 6 and colder you’ll have to decide if you want to save your tuberose bulbs for next year. If so, dig them up, let them dry, and store them in a cool place.

Contemporary Wedding Cake With Roses and Orchids

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mother's day garden gifts

If you haven't shopped for a flower pot lately, you'll notice that the offerings are far more diverse than utilitarian terra cotta pots and plastic containers of years ago. You can buy glazed pottery in every rainbow and earth-toned hue conceivable to match mom's home, landscape, and favorite flowers. Or, think outside the "pot" and give an unexpected container already planted, like a cowboy boot with trailing petunias.

outdoor wedding flowers

Simple Flower Arrangements Frame an Awesome View Rustic Wedding Flowers Don't Detract From the Mountain View.

Photo © Andrew Malone

If your wedding takes place at a site with spectacular mountain views, you don’t need a great deal of floral adornment for the ceremony. The grapevines used in this arch are rustic to match the surroundings, and the arch frames the glorious view. An overflowing vase at the base of each side of the arch anchors the arrangement, and keeps the arch from looking too leggy. Use rose petals to define the walkway for the wedding couple.

5 flower problems

It’s not fair: Winter has hung on three weeks too long, and the nurseries are tempting us with all those lovely dahlias and New Guinea impatiens. If the nursery is selling these flowers, it must be time to plant, so you bring home a flat and set them out the first time the thermometer hits 60 degrees F.

The problem with this approach is that the nursery was tending these tender tropicals in its greenhouse, and now you’ve slapped them into spring thaw mush. The plant never recovers from this shock to its system.

Solution: Contact your local county extension service to find out your average last frost date. If the plant marker says put out two weeks after last frost, follow this advice, weather anomalies be darned. For the earliest flowers stick to stalwarts like pansies and primroses.

Begonia ‘Solenia Rose’

You can save the tubers of ‘Solenia Rose’ at the end of the growing season for blossoms next year. Dig them in the fall, dry them for 10 days, and store them in a cool, dark place until the following spring.

Height: 10-12”Width: 18-24”Exposure: Partial Sun

Diabolique Iris

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Daemon Imp Iris

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mailbox gardens

Mailbox Gardens Impart a Certain Charm to the Landscape A Small Mailbox Garden Can Make a Big Impact.

Photo © Joe Comperiati

You probably visit your mailbox more than any other part of the landscape. Instead of a humdrum trek to collect bills each day, why not turn your mailbox area into a destination site in your landscape? The guarantee of a regular gardener’s shadow improves the chances of a successful flower garden in this highly visible part of your property.

Increase Earthworms

When was the last time you saw an earthworm? Chances are, you didn’t think much about the sighting. If you were working in the flower garden, you may have disturbed some in the soil. If it was after a heavy rain, you saw them writhing on the sidewalk. If it was three days after that rain, you saw their desiccated carcasses, frozen in their last flight like the mummies of Pompeii.

Whether they make you feel squeamish or indifferent, earthworms are a vital part of a living, healthy soil. Consider life without earthworms: the soil would become flat, hardpan, as lifeless as the sphagnum moss in an artificial flower arrangement. The extinction of the earthworm could serve as the premise for an apocalyptic novel. To protect this lowly member of the annelid family, how can flower gardeners nurture the earthworm?  

Photo © flickr user Pfly

Stop using chemicals on plants and in the soil. Earthworms breathe through their skin and ingest soil, so broad-spectrum pesticides have a detrimental effect on their populations. If you aren’t ready to give up all of your garden chemicals yet, apply them only when pests are present and follow package directions.

lupine

Lupines are a member of the pea family, and like peas, the plants are capable of fixing nitrogen in the soil. If the growing conditions are right, lupine flowers are equally at home or on the side of the road.

Lupinus, Family Fabaceae

Common Name:

Blue Bonnet, which refers to the annual lupine.

Zone:

Zones 3-7

Size:

Lupines can grow up to five feet tall, with flower spikes as long as 18 inches long.

Exposure:

Full sun

Bloom Period:

Lupines bloom over a two-month period, which can range from May to July, depending on the variety and the growing zone.

The dense floral spikes of lupines may grace your flower garden in shades of purple, pink, red, white, and yellow. The foliage resembles palm leaves, with seven to ten leaflet segments each.

Although rainbow hybrid lupine seed mixes are the most popular commercially available lupine, the original blue strain is the hardiest. Over time, the blue lupines in a rainbow mix will persist and perennialize, while the less adaptable colors die out.

Lupines need neutral to slightly acidic soil, although they can grow in very acidic soil conditions. Lupines don’t need rich loam, but it’s important to grow the plants in very well-draining soil to avoid root rot. Sandy soil conditions and poor rocky soil promote the growth of the lupine’s deep tap root.

Starting lupines from seed is an economical way to get a showy flower garden the following season. The seed coat is tough, and seeds have a better germination rate if you nick the seed coat or soak them in water overnight. Plant them about ? inch deep outdoors, as they do not transplant well. Expect germination in 14-30 days.

flower garden 101

A Carefully Tended Flower Garden Is Worth the Effort of Weeding, Fertilizing, and Controlling Pests.

Photo © Jamie McIntosh

Installing a new flower garden requires considerable time, effort, and money. Most flower gardens don’t reach their full potential for two to three years, especially when perennial flowers are the focus. It’s true that flower gardens need more maintenance than lawns or mulched shrub areas, but it doesn’t take a special skill set to care for a thriving garden.

Soil

If you’ve amended and tilled your garden soil until it’s as fluffy as pancake mix, you’ve gotten your flowers off to a good start. Don’t be surprised if, the following season, the soil looks like the same hardpan you had before you started the garden. Earthworms and microbes feed on organic matter in the soil, and your flowers have been feeding on this matter too. Add new organic matter and mulch to your flowerbeds every year to nourish roots and moderate soil temperatures.

Water

There’s much to consider about watering your flowers: if, when, how, and how much. Too much water brings on rot, too little makes flowers wither and die. Overhead watering can encourage the spread of disease, and some watering systems deliver more water into the atmosphere than into the soil, where it’s needed. Follow plant tag watering suggestions, and consider updating your irrigation system if you’re tired of moving your oscillating sprinkler around your yard every other day.

Fertilizer

If those numbers on the fertilizer packaging have always been a mystery to you, it’s time to get in the know: The standard system represents the available amount of nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, by percent, in that order. The reason the numbers don’t add up to 100% is that the packages also contain filler materials, like sand or limestone. In general nitrogen promotes foliage growth, phosphorus develops root systems, and potassium helps flower formation. Flowering plants need all three nutrients.

Insect Pests

Different flowers attract different insect pests, but you probably know that some insects are beneficial in the garden; don’t assume every creepy-crawly on your plants is there for a snack. Some insect pests are nocturnal or too tiny for detection, so look for clues in the damage they leave behind. Caterpillars chew leaves from the edges inward, while beetles leave holes in the middle of leaves. Look at pictures of aphids and whiteflies and learn to identify these pests that congregate in large groups.

Choose insect controls that yield the highest pest death rate with the least impact to the environment, including bees and other beneficials. You can choose from traps and barriers; sprays and powders; or biological controls like predatory insects and nematodes.

Weeds

Besides looking ugly, weeds cause other problems in the flower garden. Weeds usurp water and nutrients that your flowers need, and weeds provide a habitat for many garden insect pests. Control weeds early and often, both because small weeds are easier to kill than large ones, and because large weeds produce seeds for the next generation. You have three options for weed control in the flower bed: preventing them in the first place, spraying them, and using mechanical options like hand pulling or hoeing.

Diseases

If your flowers are in decline, it’s important to determine whether the culprit is an insect or a disease process. Spraying insecticide willy-nilly on a plant covered with rust fungus isn’t going to help. Practicing good plant culture, like proper plant spacing and watering techniques, goes a long way to reducing disease problems. Following recommended exposure guidelines also keeps flowers vigorous and able to resist disease.

If disease strikes you anyways, you can treat with fungicide or selective pruning techniques. In severe cases, sometimes it’s best to remove the plant and replace with a hardier cultivar.

biedermeier bouquet

Definition:

Named after a German style of interior decorating, the Biedermeier wedding bouquet is a round bouquet that features flowers of different colors and/or types arranged in concentric rings, with one flower type or color in each layer. The style became popular in Europe in the 1800’s, and it continues to be a traditional choice for formal weddings today.

This flower arrangement typically used in bridal bouquets, although the florist can create smaller, two-layered versions for the bridesmaids. The Biedermeier style also translates well into large wedding reception centerpieces, which can grow to any diameter or height to suit large spaces.

Florists can create the tight circles characteristic of the Biedermeier style from the center outward, placing the flowers in a bouquet holder with a foam cage for structure. Your florist may disguise the plastic handle of the bouquet holder using ribbon streamers. A hand-tied Biedermeier bouquet is also possible, using long-stemmed flowers of choice.

caterpillars

Butterflies are always welcome in the flower garden. We plant nectar-rich butterfly flowers, hang up butterfly decor in the garden, and snap photos of butterflies on our flowers, to look up in field guides later. However, when butterfly babies, i.e. garden caterpillars, show up in the garden, they’re likely to be on the receiving end of a spray can full of insect killer.

Some caterpillars turn into moths, others turn into butterflies. Some caterpillars are pests; others are butterflies-to-be. How can flower gardeners discern one caterpillar type from another? How can we accommodate controlled munching from butterfly babies while ridding our gardens of uninvited gluttons?

Signs of Caterpillar Activity

Although we’ve all seen caterpillars in the garden, there’s usually more activity going on than meets the eye. Many caterpillars sport camouflage that helps them blend in to their host plant, but some even look like bird droppings, making them easy to overlook. You don’t have to wait until your plants are completely defoliated to determine the presence of caterpillars at work. Look for:

Eggs:The best way to distinguish caterpillar eggs from other insect eggs is to watch a butterfly crawling around on a host plant. As she moves across the host plant, look for the tiny specks she leaves behind. They may be laid singly or in clusters, and colors vary from white to yellow to green or brown.Leaf Holes:Chewing insect pests like beetles usually leave holes in the middle of foliage, but caterpillars start at the leaf’s edge and work inward. Look for ragged or scalloped leaf edges.Frass:This is the fancy term for “caterpillar poop.” Frass looks like pepper grains, deposited on the foliage adjacent to actively feeding caterpillars.Garden Caterpillar Identification

Gardeners interested in attracting butterflies to the garden must know how to identify their larvae, or else risk decimating the next generation of butterflies with a round of pesticides. If you’re unfamiliar with the larval visitors in your landscape, you should consider purchasing a caterpillar field guide. A good guide for beginners is the Peterson First Guide to Caterpillars of North America from the Peterson First Guides series, which isn’t comprehensive for North America but can certainly expand your knowledge beyond the tomato hornworm and the “pretty stripy one.” The illustrations of 120 caterpillars include the adult form, and the text includes information about habitat, host plants, and defense mechanisms.

Host Plants of Egg-Laying Butterflies

Fortunately for flower gardeners, caterpillars are very picky about what they eat. This can help you to identify the “good” caterpillars according to the plant they’re feeding on. You can also plant specific host plants to attract caterpillars that turn into butterflies. Find a place for these flowering host plants, and look for these caterpillars in action:

Butterfly Weed: MonarchCalifornia Lilac: California HairstreakDogwood: Spring AzureHollyhock: Painted Lady and Gray HairstreakLupine: Boisdulval’s BlueMallow: Painted Lady and SkippersSpicebush: Spicebush SwallowtailViolet: Great Spangled FritillaryCaterpillar Pest Control

Perhaps you have both the invited and uninvited species of caterpillars in your garden. How can you get rid of one without harming the other? Even organic caterpillar control methods, like Bacillus thuringiensis, are harmful to butterfly larvae.

The least toxic way to get rid of unwanted caterpillars is to handpick them. Wear gloves, not just for the “ick” factor, but to prevent stings or rashes. Drop the pests into a bucket of soapy water as you pluck.

For vegetable crops you want to protect from caterpillars, use floating row covers. This is a great way to protect part of a crop you don’t want to share, like fennel or parsley, while sacrificing the rest to a desirable caterpillar species that will later be fluttering around your flowers.